Stock up on the essentials for this dish.

Serve this dish with the Taos Twist large pierced spoon, a handcrafted tabletop piece from the SFSC Marketplace.

Serves 6

6 1/2 to 7 pound pork baby back ribs

2 Tablespoons honey, or to taste

Romaine leaves

Thinly sliced radishes

Slivers of white onion

Sprigs of fresh cilantro

Place the ribs in a long roasting pan and paint them with half of the marinade.  Cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.  Add the honey to the remaining marinade, cover and refrigerate.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Transfer the ribs and all their marinade to a roasting pan or sheet pan large enough to hold them in a single layer.  Drizzle water around them to a depth of about 1/4-inch and bake, covered with foil for about 45 minutes.  Uncover and return to the oven for an additional 30 minutes.  Carefully remove the fat and any remaining juices.

To glaze, raise the oven temperature to 450 degrees or heat a grill.  Brush the ribs heavily with the remaining marinade and bake the ribs until they are a deep cranberry color, about 15 minutes.

To serve, line a serving platter with the romaine leaves, pile on the ribs and sprinkle with sliced radishes, slivers of onion and sprigs of fresh cilantro.

See Marinade recipe on page 8.

Marinade:

6 garlic cloves, unpeeled

5 dried Ancho chiles (2 ounces), stemmed and seeded

9 dried Guajillo chiles (2 ounces), stemmed and seeded

3 dried Morita chiles, stemmed and seeded

1 1/4 teaspoons dried Mexican oregano

3/4 teaspoon ground canela

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Pinch of ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground cumin

3 Tablespoons cider vinegar

3/4 cup broth or water, plus more if needed

2 teaspoon sugar

On a Santa Fe School of Cooking Grill, roast the garlic, turning occasionally, until blackened and soft, about 10 minutes.  Cool and peel.

Toast the chiles on the grill, pressing with a metal spatula until they start to crackle, then turn them and toast the other side.  Be careful not to burn the chiles.  Place the chiles in an a small bowl and cover them with hot water.  Let stand until soft.  Drain the chiles and discard the water.

In a blender, whirl the peeled garlic, soaked chiles, oregano, canela, pepper, cloves, cumin, vinegar, and broth or water to a smooth puree.  If the mixture seems too thick, add a little more liquid.  Press the puree through a strainer into a bowl.  Add the salt and sugar to taste.